Password to Her Heart (10 page)

She swallowed hard and let the towel fall. Looking into the mirror, she saw her flushed skin. The coloring on her cheeks never looked so good. Her pussy still spasmed and yearned to be touched by Tiek, by any of the soldiers. Her breasts felt full and all the sensations running through her body were stronger than any pain her bruised ribs may have caused and any sensation she ever felt before.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror.

“You’ll get hurt. They’ll use you, or control you, and when you stand your ground, they could demand their power and hit you. Then what, Shawna?” The tears rolled from her cheeks as thoughts of her past came rushing back to her. Her parents’ abusive ways, the creepy guys who tried picking her up at the bar or following her home, and the suffering she sustained from Cuadrone’s physical abuse. She had to resist these men. She couldn’t be weak. They could hurt her worse than anyone ever had before.

* * * *

“What’s taking them so long?” Stitch asked as they all gathered around the kitchen waiting for Shawna and Tiek.

“They’re coming down now,” Mercury said as he walked over toward the counter to finish making the salad. Lee was pulling the steaks off the grill.

The moment Stitch caught sight of Shawna and Tiek, he smiled.

“Hey, sleepyhead, how are you feeling?” he asked her. Her cheeks turned a nice shade of red and Tiek placed his hand against her lower back, escorting her into the kitchen. Something was different. He didn’t know how he knew, but both Tiek and Shawna looked different. He wondered if he kissed her like Lee had done.

“Mercury, Shawna didn’t take the pain meds, do you have the prescriptions the doctor sent home with us?” Tiek asked as he pulled out the chair for Shawna to sit on.

“No, Tiek, I don’t want to take them now.”

Tiek raised one eyebrow at her while he kept a hand on the back of her chair and one on the island as he stared at her. She lowered her eyes. He reached out and placed his fingers under her chin. “You’re going to take them so you don’t feel any pain.”

Mercury walked over with a bottle of water and a pill. “You need to take them, darling,” he said.

Stitch walked closer, instantly inhaling the scent of flowers or something feminine. They never had a woman in their home. Never one who smelled and looked as beautiful as Shawna.

“Did you have a hard time sleeping? Were you in pain?” Stitch asked, moving closer and placing his hand over her forehead to check for fever.

“I’m fine now,” she whispered.

“You weren’t fine when I found you stuck in the tub upstairs,” Tiek stated firmly.

She swung her head toward him. “It worked out fine.”

“It worked out better than fine,” he said and then stepped away.

Something definitely went down between these two. Stitch opened the bottle of water. “Take the pill, honey, and then before you go to bed, you can take another one.”

“No, Stitch.” He inhaled her scent, the smell of her hair, the bath soap Mercury brought her. He held her gaze.

“You smell fantastic. What is that you’re wearing?” he asked her, changing the direction of the conversation. She instantly appeared annoyed.

“Something I found in the bathroom upstairs. But you all should know that. Someone snooped through my apartment and my things.” She looked toward Mercury.

“Well, obviously that person cared enough about you to want to make you feel right at home here with us. Now take the pill. Doctor’s orders.” Stitch crossed his arms in front of his chest. Shawna looked at his muscles on his arms. He was certain she was feeling a bit intimidated, but he wasn’t worried. She was a tough one, and the more she healed, the sooner she would feel more confident and probably stubborn. He smiled as she swallowed the pill and held his gaze.

He reached over and brushed his thumb over her lower lip, wiping away a small spot of water.

“Good job. Now, I hope you like your steak rare, ’cause that’s the only way Lee knows how to cook them.” He pulled back and she nodded her head and then looked toward the doorway as Lee entered the room. His eyes lit up and so did Shawna’s.

* * * *

Shawna swallowed hard and clasped her hands on her lap. Her belly quivered as she looked around the kitchen at each of the men. They were just so damn large. Their muscles had muscles, and they all seemed to be sporting some sort of tattoos. She thought about how it felt to be held in Lee’s arms and Tiek’s. Both men were tough as steel. A woman knew she was safe and secure in any of their embraces. Tiek gave her a wink and she felt her cheeks warm and her breasts tingle. She still couldn’t believe he saw her naked and she let him suckle her breast and nearly touch her pussy.
What the hell was I thinking?

She quickly turned to look at Mercury. He was definitely the one in charge, and took his role as gunnery sergeant seriously, even in retirement. He stood guard by the counter, watching everyone, including Lee as he returned from turning off the grill.

“We’re all set,” he exclaimed.

She jumped when she felt the hand go to her shoulder and someone press behind her.

“Come on, Shawna, I’ll show you to your seat.”

She looked back and saw Tex. He held her gaze and she felt embarrassed for acting so skittish. But truth was, she felt intimated with all these muscular men around. They were capable of things even her wildest imagination couldn’t conjure up. She also thought about the men in uniform that held her captive. Their military positions, their authoritative attitude and abusive ways made her subconsciously attach a stigma to any man in uniform. Even though deep down she knew these men were not like that, she still knew they were capable of hurting and killing as part of their positions as soldiers. It all made her so damn nervous.

She slowly climbed off the stool. Tex placed his hand on her hip and guided her around the room to the dining area. She pressed his hand away from her and turned to look at him.

“I got it,” she said, with more attitude than she meant to.

He held her gaze firmly, and the others were quiet as they watched them.

Tex took her hand and spoke to her as he brought it up to his lips.

“It’s my pleasure to care for you, Shawna.” He kissed her hand and she felt her entire body warm in response. Quickly she sat in her seat. He let her hand go and helped push the chair closer to the table. The scent of his cologne, the feel of his masculinity behind her made her close her eyes and try with all her might not to inhale before he walked away.

She opened her eyes and placed the napkin on her lap before looking around at the others.

The table was huge. The wood thick and solid. Another simile to the men who began to take seats around it. Mercury took the head of the table on one side and Lee took the other. She sat between Mercury and Stitch, while Tex and Tiek took the two seats across from her.

The smell of the food was enticing despite her nervous state. She had barely eaten at the hospital. The food was bland and she was still so afraid. She thought about tonight, and sleeping in this new place with the fears of her dreams causing restless sleep. She wondered if the doctor forgot to place the prescription sleeping pills in the bag with the painkillers. Stitch didn’t mention it. If she asked him, then she would have to explain why she needed them. She could lie, and say the doctor said it would relax her, but the thought of lying to them bothered her. She didn’t know why. It wasn’t like she knew them that well. She didn’t really trust them completely, just enough at a moment of desperation and with the help of knowing the password Keith had given them. From here on out she wanted independence again and to feel safe and secure.

“Is your steak okay?” Mercury asked her.

When she looked up, all eyes were upon her. “Yes. Thank you.” She began to cut into it, seeing steak as a delicacy she never could afford on her own. The entire spread before her looked so appetizing. Did these men eat like this every night? From the fresh-colored vegetable medley to the hot baked bread in the basket, it was a meal she only read about or saw pictures of in magazines. She was poor. There was no other way to describe her way of life.

Of course, she wasn’t homeless, but she did spend a stint of time renting a small bedroom advertised by the college for a few months her first year. Then it became unsafe. The young woman she rented from was a party girl and when strange men hung out all the time, it got scary. She swallowed hard, recalling the one guy who decided to walk into her bedroom and wait for her when she finished showering. She swallowed hard. She was always on a budget, always sacrificing to make ends meet. Her daily salads, canned tuna, or chicken constituted most of her main meals.

“Do you like steak?” Lee asked her. She softly gasped, caught so deep in her bad thoughts she hadn’t expected the male tone. She held his gaze.

“Who wouldn’t like steak?”

“Do you like it rare?” he asked.

“I like it, Lee. I rarely have steak.”

“Shoot, are you a vegetarian?” Tiek asked and then took a huge chunk of meat and pulled it off the fork and into his mouth.

“No, nothing like that,” she replied softly.

“Then what?” Stitch asked her, pushing for a better answer.

She stared at her plate. “I never could afford to have steak. It’s something special. And this is a filet, right?” she asked, noticing how they all had extra-large steaks like porterhouses and she had the filet. There were more steaks on the platter in the center of the table.

“Sure is. We love steak. And now that you’re here, you can have steak whenever you like,” Tiek told her. She felt a bit ashamed, or maybe foolish, for revealing that info about herself to make them feel obligated to provide for her. She didn’t want that. She wanted to be alone. She did alone perfectly.

“That’s very kind of you. But I don’t expect I’ll need taking care of for much longer. In fact, I can’t accept all these things you’re doing for me. I could never pay you back.”

“You don’t have to pay us back. We’re doing it because we want to. Can’t you see that?” Lee asked her.

She held his gaze. “I know it’s what Keith asked of you. To take care of me no matter what happened in Mexico. But, I’ve taken care of myself for this long.”

“You’re more than that to us,” Lee started to say, but Tex grabbed his arm to stop him from continuing.

“Darlin’, let’s not talk about any of that right now. It’s your first night here. We want you to feel safe and comfortable. We’ll talk about what may or may not happen another time,” Tex said.

“Tex is right. Let’s eat up and enjoy the food and being here together,” Mercury added.

The men focused back on their food again while Shawna focused on her emotions.

What did she expect them to do, express their undying love for her, and tell her that they wanted her to be part of their family forever?

Her heart ached as she focused on not wasting the filet and not letting her tears fall. Even though she had a nice long nap, she was suddenly feeling very tired and spent. As soon as they were finished and she helped them, she was going to bed.
 

Stitch joined Shawna at the hospital while she visited Keith. Tex had driven her in the morning and she remained all day. They had been sitting there quietly for an hour when Shawna turned to look at him.

She looked so young with one leg tucked underneath her and her hair in a long ponytail to the side. He wished that her bruises would fade quickly.

“I keep trying to think of happy things. Things that will keep the sadness and fear away.”

He pulled his chair closer, and placed his hand on the arm of her chair. “What about memories from when you were a kid? Maybe good times you had with Keith?” he asked.

She turned toward the hospital bed, the sounds of machines beeping and Keith’s heartbeat echoing in the background. She looked down at her hands she clasped on her lap.

“Unfortunately, there weren’t many,” she whispered.

He heard the strain, the sadness in her voice. “Things were tough growing up?”

She turned to look at him. “Stitch, Keith gave you guys the password so I would trust you enough to go with you.”

“Yes, it was cubbyhole, but we didn’t know why he picked that word.”

“It was where we had to hide from our parents when they drank too much,” she whispered, her voice cracking on the last syllable.

He felt terrible. His heart ached for them. “They were abusive?” he asked.

She stood up and wrapped her arms, hugging herself while she looked at Keith. “They drank too much. We had to hide and wait until they sobered up or they would hit us.”

He felt nothing but hatred for their parents. Anyone who could abuse a child was sick in the head. He stood up, turned her to face him, and gently rubbed his hands up and down her arms until she let her arms fall to her sides. He stared down into her gorgeous blue eyes.

“That must have been hell to go through, but you and Keith survived. You’re both very strong.”

She held his gaze, and he could see her eyes well up with tears. “I don’t always feel so strong.” A tear escaped her eye.